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No one needs a reminder of how hard it is to predict the future with any accuracy. Still, you probably feel pressed to try. After all, it\u2019s your job to keep up with (or, if you\u2019re lucky get ahead of) audience preferences and industry shifts.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s why CMI chief strategy advisor Robert Rose put hard questions about the future of content to a panel of industry leaders. Their conversation in a webinar offers a sneak peek at the discussions expected at ContentTECH Summit<\/a> later this month.<\/span><\/p>\n Those he consulted for the informative discussion include:<\/p>\n What do they see in their crystal balls? Chaos (and potential) in the rise of citizen creators, personalization, experimentation, and a need to wrangle all that content chaos.<\/p>\n What\u2019s the future of #Content programs? The rise of citizen creators, personalization, and experimentation create chaos \u00ad\u2013 but also great potential, says @AnnGynn via @CMIContent. <\/a><\/span>Click To Tweet<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n At Ceros, Jamie Gier sees a future in the growth of citizen content creators based on what she\u2019s noticed in the last 24 months.<\/p>\n \u201cThe reality is now you can have somebody like me, who doesn\u2019t have a design background, be able to create compelling content very rapidly and have the means to distribute it out into the universe,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n People without design or marketing backgrounds can now create and distribute compelling #Content. That makes some marketers uneasy, says Jamie Gier of @Cerosdotcom via @AnnGynn @CMIContent. <\/a><\/span>Click To Tweet<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n But not everyone embraces the citizen creator trend. As Jamie explains: \u201cAs more tools are available, I think designers and marketers start to worry about losing control over brand standards<\/a> and design integrity.\u201d<\/p>\n Bynder\u2019s Brian Kavanaugh sees those concerns, too. The questions the trend raises, he says, include: \u201cHow is (the image) shot? What are our guidelines? Do we trust that it will be usable for the brand?\u201d<\/p>\n Regardless, citizen creators won\u2019t likely disappear \u2013 and they\u2019re even influencing corporate design.<\/p>\n Craig Bollig of Orange Logic shared the story of a creative director who sees a shift from the \u201cperfect look\u201d once created and distributed by brands toward a more authentic look that appeals to the citizen creator world. \u201cIt could be user-generated or less retouching or time in the photo lab,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n For example, Tesla often relies on Tesla owners\/drivers to populate its Instagram stream with \u201chomemade\u201d aka UGC content, like this image of two cats waiting in a Tesla while it charges. The animals aren\u2019t easily seen or lit well, and the vehicle\u2019s hood has streaks of snow, indicating someone might have brushed it off haphazardly.<\/p>\n \u201cUnpolished content is the future,\u201d Craig says.<\/p>\n Unpolished #Content is the future, says @CraigBollig of @orangelogic via @AnnGynn @CMIContent. #ContentTECH <\/a><\/span>Click To Tweet<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n HANDPICKED RELATED CONTENT:<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Embracing the rise of citizen creators doesn\u2019t mean you can abandon detailed guidelines and processes. Instead, it requires a good balance. As Jamie advises brands to appreciate the fact that you can put creativity in the hands of all sorts of personas. Just make sure there are some integrity mechanisms in place so you don\u2019t lose that.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t forget, citizen creators may arise internally (from colleagues in other departments, teams, and regional offices) or externally (from audience members and customers). And that creates another challenge.<\/p>\n \u201cFor content to be everywhere on all of your channels, it first has to be all in the same place,\u201d Craig says.<\/p>\n Often, that place is digital asset management (DAM) platform or system<\/a>, but not every organization has one. Craig says he sometimes hears from marketers who have 15 different servers, and their employees don\u2019t know how to find anything on any of them.<\/p>\n The starting place for solving this multi-symptom problem is to designate one home for creative content (Dropbox and Google Drive are NOT that place). \u201cThis is a huge step in the right direction, and you should celebrate that when it happens. Socialize it internally,\u201d Craig advises.<\/p>\n For example, a single creative content source might help save a brand from conducting seven similar photoshoots around the world because no one knew about the imagery that already exists.<\/p>\n As your DAM system matures, think about verticals and themes like user-generated content. \u201cThere\u2019s no way to accomplish that without governance around usage rights,\u201d Craig says.<\/p>\n Often, that governance is a release form where the person who generated the content gives permission for the brand to use it. The release should detail the timeframe for which those rights are granted and include parameters for how the content can be used. To be effective, that permission document must be attached to the content.<\/p>\n \u201cA hundred-plus people would want to use that (content.) How could you confidently say that image is usable without an original governance central source of truth?\u201d Craig says.<\/p>\n A DAM can help organize the chaos.<\/p>\n While marketers may think about organizing brand content, Craig predicts growing requests from multiple departments and stakeholders for creative assets. \u201cThere\u2019s always going to be a little bit of chaos. But it also is important to understand what those bottlenecks<\/a> are, the challenges for other teams, and how a DAM can help,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Contrend\u2019s Peter Bakker understands the challenges Craig raises. His organization often helps businesses structure or organize the chaos. \u201cIt\u2019s amazing that even a large organization is so dysfunctional in this,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n HANDPICKED RELATED CONTENT: <\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Sitecore\u2019s Jill Grozalsky Roberson has seen a significant increase in the adoption of personalization and experimentation software over the last two years. \u201cOrganizations now are trying to get back to the pulse of the customer and understanding what\u2019s working, what\u2019s resonating,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n And that doesn\u2019t just require software. It requires a change in mindset. Jill advises content marketers to get comfortable with not having everything finalized and perfect to implement personalization.<\/p>\n \u201cPersonalization is almost like a form of testing \u2026 you\u2019re delivering tailored content based on preference to see if it works. You\u2019re not going to know 100% what the impact will be because it is kind of a test. That can be nerve-wracking.\u201d<\/p>\n Personalization is a form of testing. You deliver tailored #Content to see if it works, but you won\u2019t know for sure what the impact will be, says @Jgrozalsky of @Sitecore via @AnnGynn @CMIContent. #ContentTECH <\/a><\/span>Click To Tweet<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n To become more at ease with personalization, Jill says to start small. Use what you learn to secure executive buy-in<\/a> and investment \u2013 the two most common hurdles to personalization efforts.<\/p>\n \u201cThe more you can demonstrate that there is an impact for personalization, the more excitement there\u2019s going to be,\u201d she says. Then, you can scale the personalization.<\/p>\n Scaling up doesn\u2019t mean you must make every piece of content personalized to every member of your audience right away. Instead, Jill suggests starting with one segment of your audience and then expanding from there.<\/p>\n Is it even possible to predict what will feel personal and relevant to an individual content consumer?<\/p>\n AI-informed tools<\/a> can help you determine what formats and topics might work for a particular audience three-to-six months from now, Contrend\u2019s Peter Bakker says. These tools predict the future based on the past behavior of this person or a similar audience.<\/p>\n Contrend\u2019s tool, for example, uses a combination of inputs rather than a single measurement. It takes social, SEO, Google Analytics, and other factors to manifest a well-informed prediction.<\/p>\n But the tech doesn\u2019t make the final decisions. \u201cThat\u2019s always overlaid with a human eye,\u201d he says. \u201cThere\u2019s always someone saying, \u2018Do we agree with what the platform is telling us?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n #AI tools can help predict what content an individual consumer will want. But don\u2019t forget the human review, says Peter Bakker of Contrend via @AnnGynn @CMIContent. #ContentTECH <\/a><\/span>Click To Tweet<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n Ceros\u2019 Jamie Gier says the 2021 Forrester B2B research<\/a> found that the number of buying interactions jumped from 17 in 2019 to 27 in 2021 marking a new reality in which a more significant share of buying activities happen online.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think that\u2019s going to change even as the world opens up,\u201d Jamie says. \u201cWe\u2019re at a point where you need to be invited into the world of your buyers, and you want to make that visit worth their time.\u201d<\/p>\n Putting control in visitors\u2019 hands may be the answer. \u201cWe have to get to a place where we\u2019re comfortable ditching to a large extent static content because that\u2019s not what\u2019s working to bring somebody into your story,\u201d Jamie says<\/p>\n For example, Sephora uses quizzes to engage their buyers and personalize their shopping experience. Other organizations turn reports into interactive<\/a> pathways readers can explore.<\/p>\n Emphasize content value over content volume, Jamie advises. When your audience values your content, they\u2019re more likely to stay longer and connect with your brand.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re competing for the minds and the hearts of your buyers,\u201d Jamie says. \u201cMake your content worth their while.\u201d<\/p>\n Cover image by Joseph Kalinowski\/Content Marketing Institute<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n\n
Citizen content creators rise up<\/h2>\n
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\nContent chaos increases<\/h2>\n
\nExperimentation and personalization reign<\/h2>\n
HANDPICKED RELATED CONTENT: How To Create a Not-Awkward Personalization Strategy<\/a><\/strong><\/div>\nFocus shifts to value over volume<\/h2>\n
HANDPICKED RELATED CONTENT: A 4-Step Customer Journey Map Process for Better Content Results [Template]<\/a><\/strong><\/div>\nWant to learn how to balance, manage, and scale great content experiences across all your essential platforms and channels? Join us at ContentTECH Summit (May 31-June 2) in San Diego. <\/em>Browse the schedule<\/em><\/a> or <\/em>register today<\/a>. Use the code BLOG100 to save $100.<\/em><\/em><\/div>\n